


Like a Hurricane is Coming Our Way

by underthewillow



Category: The Ever Afters Series - Shelby Bach
Genre: One Shot, Post-War, Song fic/Email, What happens when I listen to the same song on repeat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-27
Updated: 2016-03-27
Packaged: 2018-05-29 12:35:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6374980
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/underthewillow/pseuds/underthewillow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The war is over, has been for years, and Adelaide has the chance to return to the North American Chapter of EAS.  The question is, will she take it, or is her guilt about her actions to great?<br/>Includes parts of NEEDTOBREATHE's Hurricane</p>
            </blockquote>





	Like a Hurricane is Coming Our Way

 

To: northamericanchapter@eas.net

From: adelaidethesparklequeen@eas.net

Subject: Re: Return to the Ever Afters School

_In the fallout now_

_It's hard to feel like we can turn around_

I mean, the war is over but going back to EAS? You have got to be kidding. The whole thing was my fault. I can't just show up there and magically go from Adelaide the Traitor back to who I was. It just doesn't work like that.

_With the damage done_

_It's hard to see how far we've come_

I know you all think I've changed and am a better person or whatever but believe me, I'm not. I'm still the bratty, selfish girl who put hundreds of people in danger because of a stupid crush.

_We could not be proud_

_Of where our feet have walked along the ground_

Of course I'm sorry for what I did. How could I not be? Do you even know how many people died in that attack? Forty. I'm almost directly responsible for the deaths of at least forty people. And you want me to waltz back in there and pretend I did nothing wrong?

_In the silence now_

_We play it back and forwards again_

I keep thinking the whole thing over, from how utterly desperate I was for Chase to like me to that moment of absolute horror when I realized it was all my fault. The battle plays on a non-stop loop when I sleep. I can't escape what I did. And I fully accept it. It's my punishment I guess.

_There's a sound in our guiltiness_

_A warning bell that rings_

There were a few times I almost confessed, to be honest. Most of them were when I'd be trying to spend time with Chase, and he'd just keep watching those stupid videos. He'd just look up at me with this look of awe and say something about how awesome it was. How awesome she was. Those were the moments I would doubt he'd ever really like me. I mean, if he could still talk that way about Rory when he was under an enchantment, then I didn't have a chance, did I?

_It's a call to our loneliness_

_And we can't see_

But then, I'd think about what it would be like, without him. Daisy and Candice had already left me, so without Chase, I would be completely alone. I'd felt that before, been friendless and so lonely. I didn't want to feel it again, so I didn't tell anyone. I just kept wishing.

_We roll the dice, we play like fools_

Did I know it was risky? Umm, yeah, of course I did. But I thought that the worst case scenario would be someone finding out, which would lead to my public humiliation and losing Chase forever. That's why I used the Pounce Pot. Never did I think of anything as horrible as what happened.

_We plead with time to change the rules_

When I was planning all of this out, Sarah Thumb started collecting all of the coins. I didn't know what you would do with them, I kind of thought the Canon wanted them all for themselves. I mean, they didn't tell Rory about her Tale for three years. Who knew what else they were lying about? So I took my coin and wished that I could keep it I wished as hard as I could and when I opened my eyes, there was another coin. I figured it must be some sort of sign that I was doing the right thing. I was wrong.

_It's like a hurricane is coming our way_

_We've all been warned, but we still chose to stay_

Then Rapunzel came to me, the day before it all fell apart. Instead of listening to her council, I said some things that I'm definitely not proud of. I knew what she was talking about. I knew she was probably right. I knew this, but I ignored her. I'd been doing it for too long and was afraid to admit what I'd done.

_I can't believe it now the time has come_

EAS had been attacked, people had died, and Rory had been Chase's true love, not me. I hadn't thought that the day couldn't got worse. I was wrong. When Lena held up my wishing coin and declared that it was how the Snow Queen attacked the school, I almost didn't believe her. I was nearly in shock as the Director started talking about the "traitor" who they would lock in the dungeon. And I was that traitor. I didn't even protest when you told me I was kicked out of the North American Chapter. I was actually glad, so I wouldn't have to face the people I'd betrayed, my friends.

_Play the victim here_

_You know it's nothing but your pride and fear_

No-one in the European chapter really knew what had happened so I made up some story, making it sound like it wasn't my fault. I was too afraid of being alone that I couldn't even own up to my mistake.

_But the more you hurt_

_The more you love the one you were_

For a while, I hated myself. Hated what I had done, who I had been. Now, though, I kind of wish I could be that little girl again and not have all this weighing on my conscience. Even though I was selfish and a bully, I'd rather be that than the girl who orphaned two families and made six others mourn for the deaths of their children. People keep telling me that the Snow Queen would have attacked EAS anyway, and maybe that's true but I can't help but feel it would have played out differently. I have to live with my choices though and I will, somehow.

So thank you for your generous offer of reinstatement and full pardon, but I respectfully decline. Maybe someday I will come back to EAS, but that time is not now.

Sincerely,

Charlotte Adelaide Elanora Radcliffe

Sent 7/4/17 at 4:09

**Author's Note:**

> As I transfer from FF.net, much of my writing will be reposts from other sites. I wrote this last fall, and although it's not one of the best things I've written, it's one of my favorites because it points out that not everything is as black and white as it seems and just because the external fighting is finished, that doesn't mean the internal is.


End file.
